Health, Faith and Blueprint

People of all faiths intend to gather to pray for their communities, and state and national leaders on Thursday when they meet at various events nationwide during the 63rd annual National Day of Prayer.

The Athens Area National Day of Prayer Breakfast will be held at 7 a.m. at The Classic Center. Guest speaker Bobby Joiner not only will lead people in prayer for their leaders, but also remind those gathered of the Christian principals the country was founded on.

“I taught history and feel that America has gotten away from its roots and foundational principals,” he said. “Over 90 percent of our Constitution came either directly or indirectly from the scriptures and our forefathers did a lot more praying than we do now.

“I believe that when we humble ourselves and pray God can restore our principals. ... National Day of Prayer is one opportunity for the country and state governments to recognize they are free to practice their religion.”

A University of Georgia graduate, coach and evangelist, Joiner has devoted the past 20 years to prison ministry in Dougherty County and to teen ministry. He also is the road chaplain for the Grammy Award-winning Christian band Newsong and coordinator of the successful Winterjam Concert Series that fills arenas across the nation each year.

Joiner said he doesn’t feel he gave a lot to the city while he lived here and looks at the breakfast as one way to give back to the people of Athens and share what he’s learned in the “school of hard knocks.”

“I do a lot of speaking, mostly to musicians, prisoners and teenagers, and I tell everyone that they’re generally all alike, but some of them can’t see their bars,” he said. “God has become a stranger to most people. He’s dogged in religion and seen as someone who hits you with a hammer if you do return to church and that’s not the God of the scriptures. He loves to talk to anybody who wants to talk to him.”

The National Day of Prayer was established as an annual event by an act of Congress in 1952 and was signed into law by President Harry Truman. President Ronald Reagan amended the law in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer.

The Classic Center is located at 300 N. Thomas St. in downtown Athens.